SB 375: Employment Development Department: unemployment insurance claimants: assistance.
- Session Year: 2021-2022
- House: Senate
- Latest Version Date: 2021-03-05
Existing law establishes the Employment Development Department within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and sets forth its powers and duties, including administration of the unemployment and disability insurance programs for California. Existing law requires the department to pay unemployment compensation benefits to unemployed individuals meeting specified requirements, to periodically review policies and practices used to determine eligibility for and the amount of benefits in the unemployment insurance program, and to report to the Legislature, as specified. Under existing law, unemployment compensation benefits are paid from the Unemployment Fund, and the expenses for administering these provisions are paid from the Unemployment Administration Fund, which is continuously appropriated for these purposes.
This bill would require the department to implement a formal policy no later than October 1, 2021, that establishes a process for tracking and periodically analyzing call information data to determine the reasons why unemployment insurance claimants call the department for assistance. The bill would require the department, every 6 months thereafter, to analyze the data it has collected in order to improve its call center. The bill would require the department, in conducting its analysis, to identify and resolve weaknesses or problems with the way it provides assistance to claimants. The bill would require the department to take additional actions, including to develop a recession plan to prepare for future economic downturns by January 1, 2022, to update that recession plan at least once every 3 years thereafter, and to report this information to the Legislature, as specified.
Because this bill would authorize the expenditure of funds from the Unemployment Administration Fund for new purposes, the bill would make an appropriation.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, defines public agency for purposes of that act to include, among others, state and local agencies, the federal government, or any federal department or agency.This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that definition.Existing law, the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, defines public agency for purposes of that act to include, among others, state and local agencies, the federal government, or any federal department or agency.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that definition.
(a)The department shall implement a formal policy no later than October 1, 2021, that establishes a process for tracking and periodically analyzing call information data to determine the reasons why unemployment insurance claimants call the department for assistance.
(b)Every six months thereafter, the department shall analyze the data it has collected in order to improve its call center. In conducting its analysis, the department shall identify and resolve weaknesses or problems with the ways in which the department provides assistance to claimants through self-service and noncall-center options. The department shall also develop specialized training modules to quickly train its call center staff on the most commonly requested items with which callers want assistance.
(c)The department shall take all of the following actions:
(1)Review first-call resolution data at least monthly to evaluate whether the call center is providing effective assistance to callers.
(2)Implement features on its phone system to allow callers to request a callback from a customer service agent instead of waiting on hold for assistance.
(3)(A)Develop a recession plan to prepare for future economic downturns. The plan shall take into account the lessons learned from previous economic downturns, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan shall include all of the following:
(i)The indicators that the department will monitor and use to project the likely upcoming workload that it will face.
(ii)The steps the department will take to address increases in its workload, such as cross-training nonunemployment insurance staff, changing its staffing levels, prioritizing specific tasks, and adjusting the ways in which it performs certain work.
(iii)The altered policies or procedures that the department will activate if a rise in unemployment insurance claims becomes significant enough to warrant altered policies or procedures.
(B)(i)The plan developed under this paragraph shall be completed no later than January 1, 2022, and the plan shall be updated at least once every three years thereafter. A report on the plan shall be submitted to the relevant committees of the Legislature by January 1, 2022, and every three years thereafter.
(ii)The requirement for submitting a report imposed under clause (i) is inoperative on January 1, 2026, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(iii)A report to be submitted pursuant to clause (ii) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
SEC. 2.This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order for the Employment Development Department to effectively provide unemployment benefits to preserve public peace, health, and safety during the current COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as soon as possible, it is necessary for this measure to take effect immediately.
SECTION 1.Section 6500 of the Government Code is amended to read:6500.As used in this article, public agency includes, but is not limited to, the federal government or any federal department or agency, this state, another state or any state department or agency, a city, county, county board of education, county superintendent of schools, public corporation, public district, regional transportation commission of this state or another state, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or any joint powers authority formed pursuant to this article by any of these agencies.As used in this article, public agency includes, but is not limited to, the federal government or any federal department or agency, this state, another state or any state department or agency, a city, county, county board of education, county superintendent of schools, city, public corporation, public district, regional transportation commission of this state or another state, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or any joint powers authority formed pursuant to this article by any of these agencies.
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Date
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Status
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|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2022 | Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| Mar 18, 2021 | Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. |
| Mar 5, 2021 | From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. |
| Feb 22, 2021 | Art. IV. Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution dispensed with. |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Referred to Com. on RLS. |
| Feb 11, 2021 | From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 13. |
| Feb 10, 2021 | Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. |
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